Nusantara: New city, old problems

The Presidential Palace in Nusantara during the country’s recent Independence Day celebration. — Reuters

JUST two months ago, former West Java governor and architect Ridwan Kamil made a bold prediction that the country’s future capital of Nusantara in East Kalimantan would be like Jakarta by the time the country marked its 79th Independence Day.

As construction workers toiled day and night to meet the government’s Aug 17 deadline for unveiling Nusantara, Ridwan’s prophetic statement appeared to have already come true, for all the wrong reasons.

Since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo first announced the Nusantara relocation and development project in 2019, work has been underway on a site four times the area of Jakarta to build the new capital, designed as a smart city with a forest city concept, complete with state-of-the-art buildings and cutting-edge technology.

Why move the capital?

According to Jokowi, the 500-year-old metropolis of Jakarta is plagued by perennial problems ranging from pollution and overpopulation to traffic congestion, and then some. But it seems that Jakarta’s problems are part and parcel of the relocation project, with residents in areas surrounding the future capital complaining about various issues, from rising crime rates to untreated waste and a shortage of clean water.

Ambitious project: Satellite images show changes in the area of Indonesia’s planned new capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan. — AFP

While an influx of workers and other new arrivals has boosted the restaurant business of Sulis Sugiarti, who lives on the doorstep of Nusantara in Sepaku district, North Penajam Paser regency, she is now concerned about safety.

Sulis said she had observed a rise in criminal activity, such as vehicle theft, in areas adjacent to the future capital.

“I think [our] safety also needs to be prioritised,” Sulis told The Jakarta Post.

The restaurateur has also dealt with online scams, including a recent case of attempted fraud involving a fake order totalling Rp3mil (RM827). The scammer then told Sulis they had mistakenly transferred a payment of Rp4mil and asked her to refund the excess amount.

“I have experienced this several times. I think others are experiencing it also,” she said, adding that local residents were “generally starting to feel unsafe”.

Complaints about unfair competition between small local businesses and large companies from cities are becoming commonplace among entrepreneurs running businesses near Nusantara.

Samuel Andu, who runs a vehicle rental business in Balikpapan, a port city in East Kalimantan that is the closest urban centre to Nusantara, has seen an increase in demand from customers travelling to and from the future capital. While that may be good for his business, Samuel is growing concerned about unhealthy competition from rental companies in Jakarta offering lower prices.

“It’s fine if [Jakarta-based firms] want to set up business here. But we hope they don’t base their prices on Jakarta [rates],” he said, noting that rates for rental cars travelling to and from Nusantara included extra costs for maintenance and a driver.

Rates for car rentals recently made headlines following public backlash over reports that the government would be splashing out millions of rupiah on 100 cars to shuttle guests to and from the Independence Day celebrations in Nusantara.

Private and construction vehicles travel in traffic on July 25, 2024, on a road leading to Nusantara in North Penajam Paser regency, East Kalimantan.

Growing pains

Nusantara is only a few years into its decades-long development and the people of Sepaku are already feeling pressure from the megaproject, including the massive influx of migrant workers and preparations to relocate thousands upon thousands of civil servants and government employees to the region.

More houses and hotels are being built in the district without improvements to the district’s sewage and clean water system to serve the drastic jump in population. Addressing this and other potential issues is beyond the capacity of Bukit Raya village in Sepaku.

While the Bukit Raya administration might be able to increase its budget now, the actual funds would only arrive next year, explained village head Yatiman Setiawan. “These issues, on the other hand, need immediate solutions,” he emphasised, calling on support from the central government.

“You can’t just build [Nusantara] but not the surrounding areas. People don’t live there now, they live [in small villages] that have limited facilities,” Yatiman said.

The government is planning to relocate nearly 2,000 civil servants, police personnel and soldiers by October.

A general view showing under-construction buildings that will be used by several coordinating ministries in Nusantara in the future. — AFP

It has been scrambling to secure a steady, reliable supply of clean water for the new residents of Nusantara by building dams and reservoirs in the region, including the Sepaku Intake Dam.

Not far from the dam is the home of Basri, an 81-year-old Sepaku native who has lived in the district for decades and remembers when there were only four houses in the 1960s.

Today, trucks and other heavy machinery trundle around 24-7, transporting materials, clearing land and building infrastructure and other facilities. Basri does not mind the ongoing work, but he worries about the long-term impacts of the development, such as flooding and smelly water.

“All we can do is pray for our children and grandchildren,” he said.

“Hopefully, [Nusantara] can benefit them in some way. We have nowhere else to go.”

On the other side of the Sepaku Intake Dam is another village where Pandi is having a hard time adjusting to the bustling activities, which have brought more crime and environmental problems, disrupting the village’s previously idyllic life.

Now, the 53-year-old can only hope that the government will make serious efforts to ensure the livelihoods and well-being of Sepaku’s native residents, who settled in the area centuries ago but still lacked legal guarantees, a common issue across the country.

“Please don’t take our rights,” Pandi said. Responding to the concerns of communities in East Kalimantan, the government has promised to improve the local infrastructure while preserving the villages surrounding Nusantara as a “living museum”.

“Of course we will develop those areas,” said Danis Hidayat Sumadilaga, head of the Public Works and Housing Ministry’s Nusantara infrastructure development task force.

“In any case, it will benefit everyone. We will maintain the existing condition well,” he said. — The Jakarta Post/ANN